The present invention relates to a reusable heat-sensitive transfer recording media. More particularly, it relates to a heat-sensitive transfer recording element which is used in recording apparatuses such as thermal printer and thermal typewriter, and which is capable of transferring small portions of the heat-meltable ink which is present in some portion of the ink layer thereof, onto a receiving medium such as paper, at every time when that portion of the ink layer is heated by means of a thermal head, whereby the same portion of the ink layer can be used many times.
Such reusable heat-sensitive transfer recording element which have been known heretofore include a recording element having a sponge-like ink layer which has such a construction that a heat-meltable ink is contained in a sponge-like layer made of a resin incompatible with the heat-meltable ink (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 54-68253), and a recording element having an ink layer which is formed from a mixture of a heat-meltable ink and minute particles having a strong cohesive force and has a barrier layer which is formed by aggregation of the particles and serves as a barrier against migration of the ink in a molten state (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-160691).
In the case of the former, however, the ink is contained in the sponge-like layer in such state that the ink is enveloped in the resin which constitutes the sponge-like layer, which results in a low optical density (hereinafter referred to as "OD") of the initial printed image. Accordingly, it is impossible to obtain printed images having a high OD value from initial use of the recording media.
In the case of the latter, since the porosity of the aggregation of the minute particles is low, the ink content in the ink layer is low, which results in a low OD value of printed images and a small number of times that the recording element can be used repeatedly.
It is an object of the invention to provide a reusable heat-sensitive transfer recording element which can be used many times and gives printed images having a high OD value from the initial use thereof.
This and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.